This article appeared in the April 2007 Newsletter of the Texas Wendish Heritage Society of Serbin, Texas. (www.texaswendish.org)
Several people have raised the issue of using the black wedding gown as evidence for identifying Wends. I am cautious when it comes to fashion, and those who know me would say I am justified in doing so. However, I have consulted Trudla Malinkowa (Gertrud Mahling) and her comments make me feel more secure.
Wendish brides did wear black, but so did Germans and other ethnic groups. Both of my wife’s grandmothers, who were as German as you can get, wore black wedding gowns. Evidently in the distant past when Wendish Trachten (costumes) were widely used, there was a distinct wedding gown, but it was not black. Even if the Wendish brides in the late 19th century continued to wear black while non-Wendish brides were changing to lighter colors, it could be construed as a reflection of Wendish conservatism or thrift rather than a mark of ethnic identity. (If Wendish brides followed fashion, how reliable is another oft-repeated statement that says that Wendish brides wore black, tight wedding gowns which symbolized the hard life ahead of them?)
CENSUS RECORDS
The primary purpose of this list is to identify those individuals who came from a Wendish heritage.
The secondary purpose is to specify the date of migration. If you can verify information on the following lists, notify me at gnie857317@rap.midco.net or 1132 Enchantment Rd. Rapid City, SD 57701.
1910 Lee County
The 1910 census enumerator asked individuals to identify the country of their birth. Germany would have been the country for Wends, but for some people, the enumerator, Robert A. Falke identified them as “German/Wendish.” The assumption is that the individuals supplied the information and he entered it. Even so, there could be errors. Some individuals listed as “German” could be Wendish, and some listed as “German/Wendish” could be German. Some names I have always considered German are marked with an asterisk (*), so I would appreciate verification.
The first number in each entry is the line number on the census. Following the name is the age of the person in 1910; www means the person and both the parents were Wendish, and ww means the parents were Wendish, but the person was born in Texas. The last date is the date of migration.
Anything in brackets is added from other sources and an empty [ ] means the information is needed. Ben Nevis immigrants are omitted unless the information is helpful.
2. Edward Lehman 68 www 1859; Christina [ ] 64 www 1869
4. Carl Lehman 62 www 1859; widower
7. John Pietsch 29 www 1880; Selma [ ] 25 mother was Wendish
9. Michial [Michael] Schulze 68 www 1873; Magdalena [ ] 68 www 1878
10. Traugott Zoch 47 www 1867; Anna [ ] (2nd marriage) 44 www 1881
12. Andreas Urban 55 ww; Magdalena [Noack] 56 www 1864 [or 1873?]
14. John Jeremias 83 www 1859
15. Andreas Schatte 52 ww ; Maria [Zimmerman] 55 www [1869]
Rosina Wukasch 87 (wd) www 1858??
17. Peter Mickan 60 www 1858; Maria [Deo] 59 www 1869
19. August Kalbas 58 www 1869; Anna [ ] 51 WWW 1873
20. Anna [ ] Berg 75 www [migration ?? ]
21. August Farack 43 www 1882; Mary [Greilich] 42 www 1871
22. Maria [Schneider] Synatschk 76 [73] (wd) WWW 1881
John 43 WWW 1881; Theresia [ ] 34 www 1883
24. Paul Kappler 46 ww [2nd marriage]; Theresia [Deo Matthiez] 45 www [1869] [3rd marriage]
*27. Herman Mersiovsky 27 ww; Martha [ ] 26 WW
28. August Hohle [adopted] www 1867
30. Anna [ ] Kappler 62 www 1864
32. Gottlieb Roensch 60 www 1890; Anna 60 WWW 1890
Emil Litke 44 www 1872 (hired hand)
34. John Schiwart 57 www 1869; Agnes [Schubert] ww
39. Matthes Tschatschula 45 www [ ]; Louise [Winzer] 43 www [ ]
40. Herman Schulze 43 ww; Magdalena [ ] 44 www 1875
43. Andreas Schubert 66 www 1854
Maria Ziesche [Zschiesche] (sister-in-law) 52 WWW 1867
*46. Henry Dunk 34 ww; Mary [ ] 34 ww
50. Anna [Schneider] Zoch 91 www 1869
Michael Zoch 55 www 1868; Agnes [Herenz] 38 (second wife) www 1876
*51. Gerhard Menzel 32 ww
52. August Wukasch 52 ww; Emma [*Fehr] 49 ww
53. John Malke 50 ww; Theresia [ ] 48 ww
54. Mathis Jacobic 57 www 1881; Magdalena [Bohot] 55 www 1881
*55. Emil Preis 31 ww; Mathilda [ ] 31 ww
56. Maria [Schubert] Schautschick 69 www 1869; John Schautschick 50 www 1869
Maria [Arldt] 39 www 1875
58. John Noack 72 www 1877; Maria [ ] 61 www 1877
61. John Bigon 55 www 1869; Christiane [Zwahr] 56 www 1854
62. Mary [Birke??] Schubert 82 (wd) www 1868
Herman 40 ww
66. Anna [ ] Lehman 62 (wd) www 1855
67. Mina [ ] Symank 59 www 1855 Theresa 22 ww
68. Ernst Hilscher (German); Amalia [Foerster] 46 www blank
*73. William Brabandt 47 www 1885; Mary [ ] 32 www 1880
74. Andreas Lorenz [Lorentschk] 68 www 1855 [1854]; Anna [Nickel] 50 www [ ]
75. George Schmidt 67 www 1855; Mary [ ] 65 www 1855
77. Paul Kessel (German); Johanna [ ] ww
82. Herman Noack 40 ww; Flora [ ] 30 www 1884
84. Mathis Krause 49 ww; Helena [Schurk] 52 www blank [1882?]
86. John Vogel 43 www 1881; Magdalena [ ] 43 www 1868
88. Ernst Synatschk 48 www 1881; Maria [Teinert] 43 ww
89. Christoph Mitschke 63 www 1857; Anna [Schubert] 55 www 1857
90. August Budshig [Budschick] 58 www 1877
*95. Oswalt Raufer 26 www 1892
96. Johana Gersch 76 www 1859
97. Maria Jannasch 58 www 1874
98. Andreas Moerbe 53 www 1874; Selma [Kessel] 47 ww
99. Johanna [ ] Groeschel 76 www 1860
107. August Schulze 60 German Maria [ ] 53 www 1869
115. Lena [Mersiovsky] Kubsch 37 ww
121. Anna [Winkler] Arldt 63 (wd) www 1860
122. Herman Arldt 33 ww; Martha [ ] 25 WW
126. Ernst Kappler 51 ww; Maria [Nowak] 44 www 1869
128. August Kasper 51 ww; Agnes [Jurk] 41 www 1881
129. Adolph Mersiovsky (German); Mary [Lorentschk] 36 ww
131. Anna [Nowak] Liberty 69 www 1880
1920 Fayette Co. Pct 4, Dist.60
The 1920 census also called for the place of birth but it added a request for the “mother tongue.” Ernst Kunze was the enumerator.
24. John Stephan age – 58 www migrated – 1868; Theresa [ ] 39 mother was Wendish
146. John Noack 46 www 1883; Christine [ ] 45 www 1880
171. John Reinhard 43 1880; Emma [Bigon] 39 ww
180. Maria Jurischk 71 (widow) www 1882
182. Karl Schulze 66 www 1883; Maria 69 [ ] www 1883
183. Reinhold Goebel 30; Martha [ ] 26 ww
185. John Noack 48 www 1882; Mary [ ] 46 WWW 1884
186. Andrew Wieder 70 www 1884; Anna [ ] 72 WWW 1882
192. Gerhard Lehman 31 ww; Esther [ ] ww
193. August Lehman 39 ww; Martha [ ] 35 ww
194. Gustave Unger 42; Amalie [ ] 39 ww
195. Emil Benedix 44 mother was Wendish 1883; Christine [Droigk] 43 ww
Anna Droigk (mother-in-law) 82 www 1872
202. Gerhard Kasper; Minna [] 36 ww
207. Karl Schmidt 36 father w; Selma [ ] 35 father w
213. Henry Spretz 39 ww
Mathias (brother) 56 www 1870
214.H. Symank 45 (wd) www 1879
Anna Spretz 76 (mother) www 1879
215. John Bensch 44 ww 1883; Emma [Hannusch] 42 ww
247. Ernst Franke 44; Emma [ ] 42 ww
248. August Lowke 54 www 1880; Anna [] 42 WW
254. Andrew Pietsch 28 ww
255. John Karisch 53 ww 1881
Marie Nitsche 75 mother (wd) www 1884
262. William Tschatschula 34 ww; Theresia [ ] 23 ww
263. Adolph Tschatschula 34 ww
Martha Tschatschula (sister) 25 ww
272. Alvin Teinert 23
Selma [ ] (sister-in-law) 25 ww
273. Anna Wacker 48 (wd) www 1876 husband was Wendish.
Willie Babrandt 15 (nephew) mother was Wendish
274.Walter Arnold
Theresia Domaschk 58 (wd) (mother-in-law) ww
276. Gerhard Biehle 39; Theresia [Tschatschula] 39 ww
278. John Hobratsch 46 1811; Hulda [Mitschke] 43 ww
281. M. Kasper 69 www 1854; Christine [Zimmerman] 63 www 1867
Dela Hempel 10 (grand-d) father w
284. Gottlieb Zoch 60 www 1869; Marie [Domschk] 59 www 1869
285. John Mitschke 43 ww; Emma [] 35 ww
1920 Bastrop County Precinct #4; District 28
The enumerator, Henry C. Brahm, listed the home village for some of the Wends. On occasion he wrote Windish instead of Wendish. Some people around Bethlehem, Pennsylvania are Windish, but that is a different ethnic group.
4. Robert Bibas 34 father from Zschorna; Martha [ ] 27 father from Pomnitz [Pommritz]
5. Andrew Bibas 67 Zschorna 1879; Mary [Groeschel] 62 father from Zschorna; mother from Waesche [Wurschen?]
19. Ernst Wukasch 38 parents from Buchwalde
70. Fritz Zingelman 43; Alma [ ] 39 born Spinberg [Spremberg] 1883
Christina Karisch 79 (mother-in law)(widow) Spinberg 1885
73. Paul Toebel 36; Augusta [ ] 40 Kingwater [Koenigswartha] Windish 1882
74. Paul Hannusch 33 both parents Spinberg – Wendish; Annie [] 24 father Windish
John Hannusch (brother) 43 (wd) b. Sprinberg Windish 1882
88. John Malke 62 both parents Windish; Theresia [ ] 60 both parents Windish
97. August Schubert 58 (wd) www 1886
109. Henry Mitschke 41 both parents Saxon Windish; Mary [ ] 41 1881www Spremberg Windish
128. Herman Hohle 46 ww; Minnie [Schatte] mother Wendish
141. August Nietsche 64 (wd) www 1889 (or 1869) Oregoel [ ] Wendish
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